Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away.  Do you have mixed emotions?  Holidays mean family get-togethers and let’s face it, it’s not always enjoyable for everyone.  Of course, we love one another, but sometimes we don’t like one another.  Just keeping it real here.

I have enjoyed Michael Todd’s series on “Forgiveness University.”  Listen to Colossians 3:13 – Make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you.”  Are you easily offended?  There was a season when I felt offended a lot.  It was helpful to read in Anne Tripp’s book, “Marriage the Journey”, that it’s our flesh that is offended.  We can all walk after the flesh at times.  This means you are thinking independently of God and making choices that are not consistent with who you are.  The real you, the person you are In Christ is not easily offended.  We have to choose each day if we are going to walk after the Spirit or walk after the flesh.  I definitely don’t have this down pat, but oh how important it is to be reminded of this powerful truth.

At some point, we are faulted or offended.  What are we going to do with it?  Remember the Lord forgave you.  He extended His grace toward you so we can extend grace to others.  How?  Through the strength and power of Christ IN us.  Renew your mind with this incredible truth each and every day.  There will always be people that will fault you.  We have to make allowances for it.  This does not mean we become doormats and never say anything.  Choose your battles.  We don’t have to set the record straight each time someone states a different opinion than you.  We all have people in our lives that offend us, but we don’t have to respond.  Life is too short!  An argument rarely changes anyone’s opinion of something but it can do tremendous damage to the relationship.

Expectations will also cause an offense.  Do you have expectations of an event or family member?  Choose to lay those expectations down before you go to your event.  Some of the things that we want really doesn’t matter.  Do you know what does matter?  Unity, relationships, hearts, other family members being affected, your peace, and sleep.  Remember we have an enemy that is the Father of lies and he loves disunity.  Guys, we need one another.  We really do.  We can choose to let things go, accept one another as we are, and give grace because the God of grace lives in us.